Senior Flight Software Engineer

Senior Flight Software Engineer

This role can be based at our Louisville, CO or San Francisco office with the option to work a few days a week remotely.

Experience Level: Open to strong mid-level through senior-level embedded software engineers (5+ years). Travel: Up to 5%

The Role

Capella Space now part of IonQ's space business operates one of the world's most capable commercial synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellations, delivering all-weather, day-and-night imagery to government and commercial customers around the globe. As IonQ builds the physical infrastructure for the world's first quantum-secured space network, spanning satellite operations and free-space optical communications, the Flight Software team is what keeps that constellation flying every day.

As a Flight Software Engineer, you will write the software that runs our satellite fleet in orbit, working daily alongside FPGA developers, electrical engineers, and other subsystem owners to design, build, and evolve flight code. You'll bring a demonstrable track record with complex, safety-critical systems, strong systems-architecture judgment, and the experience to help shape the team's engineering roadmap, turning sophisticated radar technology into software that is reliable and easy to operate.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain flight software for a growing satellite constellation.
• Collaborate with EE, FPGA, and ground software engineers to ensure seamless integration between hardware and software.
• Lead code reviews and mentor teammates with constructive, high-standard feedback.
• Write and maintain unit and integration tests to ensure robustness and reliability of the software.
• Develop software documentation and provide cross-training to other team members.
• Troubleshoot and resolve software issues quickly, including in live on-orbit operations.
• Participate in the software development life cycle, from requirement analysis to deployment.
• Support integration and operations teams with software-related queries.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of relevant, hands-on engineering experience.
• Ability to support a design through all software lifecycles including initial schematic review and architectural tradeoffs, preliminary and detailed design, implementation, integration, and test.
• Experience working with real-time embedded systems - both hardware and software, including low-level drivers.
• Hands on experience developing, testing, and debugging hard real-time software (bare-metal or RTOS).
• Familiarity with embedded Linux, Linux kernel modules, and standard Linux tools.
• Strong knowledge of programming compiled (C, C++) and scripted (Python, shell script, etc.) languages.
• Experience writing software for microcontrollers and other embedded systems, e.g., Xilinx Zynq SoCs.
• Familiarity with software configuration management.
• Hand-on experience with lab equipment and electronics hardware, e.g., oscilloscopes, logic analyzers.

Why This Role

• Direct ownership of flight software running on satellites in orbit today, not a simulation.
• A front-row seat to IonQ's next chapter: building the infrastructure behind the world's first quantum-secured space network.
• A small, senior, high-trust engineering team where your architectural decisions carry real weight.

Compensation

The approximate base salary range for this position is $145,920 - $191,047. The total compensation package includes base salary, bonus, equity, and a range of benefits available on our career site.

Compensation will vary based on individual factors such as education, qualifications, and experience of the final candidate(s), specific office location, and calibration against relevant market data and internal team equity. Posted base salary figures are subject to change as new market data becomes available. Our benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans, matching 401(k), unlimited PTO and paid holidays, parental/adoption leave, legal insurance, and a home technology stipend. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided when a candidate receives an offer of employment.

At IonQ, we believe in fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all while striving to identify and eliminate barriers. We empower employees to thrive by fostering a culture of autonomy, productivity, and respect. We are dedicated to creating an environment where individuals can feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued. We are committed to equity and justice. We welcome different voices and viewpoints and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ancestry, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.